KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Dominic Dwyer scored two first-half goals and Sporting Kansas City beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday night.
Dwyer scored in the fifth minute, and Sporting KC (2-0-0) made it 2-0 when Chance Myers crossed to Dwyer, who fired his shot to the far post in the 41st minute, with goalkeeper David Ousted unable to get a hand on it.
“Super goal, wasn’t it? Superb strike by him,” said Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson of Dwyer’s first goal.
Dwyer’s best chance for a hat trick came when his left-footed shot from outside the box off a free kick sailed over the net in the 87th minute. Dwyer scored 12 goals last season and a team-record 22 in 2014.
Pedro Morales scored off a penalty kick in the 70th minute for the Whitecaps (0-2-0).
Vancouver’s Jordan Smith was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Graham Zusi in first-half stoppage time.
Robinson was happy with how his team responded to being down a man.
“The character and the pride they showed in the second half is outstanding,” said Robinson. “It doesn’t surprise me with the group in there.
“Disappointed they didn’t get anything out of the game but we gave ourselves a mountain to climb in the first half, down to 10 men as well. But they should be proud of the second half, but you don’t get pats on the back, you want points.”
Sporting KC is 4-0-0 at home against Vancouver. The lone Whitecaps victory in seven meetings was in 2014, a 2-0 win at BC Place.
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